2021 WHUMPTOBER

4. Human Shield - Flash

Pre lightning cause it's my specialty :)

**********

Barry enjoyed walking. It was one of the reasons he didn't bother with a car. He liked most types of weather, and liked taking in the scenery and fresh air, even though a lot of the time it was blurry scenery since he was late to work.

But when he could take time to slow down, Barry would sit on a bench and watch people go about their days. 

During one of these relaxing days, Barry saw two kids. An older girl who had a little boy riding on her back. He assumed they were siblings. She was bouncing him around and he was giggling gleefully. He couldn't have been more than five. 

Soon enough, they moved to cross the street. The girl walked slightly ahead, and didn't notice when her brother stopped to pick something up. She made it to the sidewalk and noticed his absence. She turned and beckoned to him with a smile.

"Come on Louis!" she called.

Then the unthinkable happened. 

A car decided to run the red light, presumably not seeing the little boy who was crouched in the middle of the street. 

Barry acted without thinking. 

The car had ran the red light, and the little boy was crossing the street to get to his smiling sister. He would not let him get hit. So he ran as fast as his legs would carry him, and he put himself between the boy and the car.

The car hit him.

And holy heck it hurt like hell.

Barry tucked the boy into himself as they were sent over the car. He landed on his back, and his head was thrown back violently. He felt rather than heard several painful cracks in numerous places, and it was a wonder he didn't pass out. Barry felt like he was underwater, and he heard distant screams. Someone was lifted away from him, and a face popped into view. It was a girl and a woman, though they were blurry he could tell they were trying to say something. To him they just sounded like the adults from Charlie Brown. 

Red and blue flashed in his darkening peripheral and then he succumbed to the darkness.

***** LINE BREAK *****

It was quiet when Barry came back around.

It was also very bright, and he was greeted with the dry walls of a hospital. Barry blinked a few times while his eyes adjusted. He scanned the room, and his eyes landed on a heart monitor. 

Barry frowned.

He was pretty sure heart monitors beeped. 

He closed his eyes and tried to listen to anything. But he heard nothing. 

Barry's eyes snapped open in alarm and his breathing quickened. Obviously, the heart monitor sped up because a doctor and a nurse came rushing in. They attempted to calm him down by talking to him, but Barry couldn't hear anything they were saying. 

Finally, the doctor lady seemed to come to a realization, and jot down on a piece of paper, 'Mr. Allen please calm down.'

Barry struggled to control his breathing, but eventually managed. Now his midsection hurt.

The doctor scribbled on the yellow pad again.

'I'm doctor Evans. You got hit by a car. Do you remember?'

Scattered pieces of memories danced in Barry's brain. He nodded slightly, but winced when it sent a sharp pain through his head.

Dr. Evans shook her head, her brown ponytail swishing. She pointed at Barry and then made a talking motion with her hand. He could talk.

Barry cleared his throat, unnerved by the fact that he couldn't hear what he was doing, and said slowly, "What are my injuries?"

Dr. Evans pursed her lips and started writing a list.

'Severe concussion, loss of hearing, six broken ribs, dislocated left shoulder, broken right arm, broken left leg, and severe road rash.'

Barry winced at the list, "That's not good."

Dr. Evans shook her head. 

Barry hesitated on his next question, "My hearing... is it permanent?"

Barry could read her lips with her shrug, "I don't know."

Barry looked down until he felt a gentle tap on his leg.

'You have visitors,' she wrote.

It was obviously posed as both a statement and question, and Barry smiled tightly. "Yeah sure."

Evans left, and a moment later Singh and Joe walked in. Joe was holding a whiteboard. Evidently Evans informed them of his lack of hearing. 

Joe rubbed Barry's knee affectionately. 'You scared me son. Don't do that again.'

"Sorry," Barry said, "but you know I'd do it again."

Singh took the whiteboard and wrote furiously. 

'You are a dumbass Allen. A heroic dumbass, but a major idiot. I swear if you do that again you'll be banned from working for a month.'

"I'm not fired?"

Singh gave him and incredulous look. Barry knew that look. That was the 'Are you actually that dumb?' look. Barry knew that look well. 

Singh started ranting and Joe smiled lightly, copying the gist of the message onto his board. He showed it to Barry.

'No.' 

Barry smiled. 

**********

A/N - Late. I know. But at least I did it. I didn't like the end very much, so sorry about that. More to come! Keep an eye out.

Love y'all! :)